St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-03
DUEL OVER The LILY.
Fred May to Fight Gambler Mike
Duffy.
AN EPISODE AT MIDNIGHT
In a Broadway Saloon in Which the
Mention of the English Actress
Name Caused Row.

New York Special.
Fred May is one of the best known
men about town. He is dashing,
straight and strong. He has square
shoulders, and towers six feet two from
the ground. He is built like one of the
Old Guard of Napoleon's day. AS
everybody knows, May is in the habit of
getting into trouble. He has recently
had another fracas, this time about
Mrs. Langtry. He admires the Lily,
and this is supposed to be his third
fight defending her name. His great
physical strength and the numerous
fights he has INDUCED in make him an
antagonist not to be considered lightly.
The scene of his last exploit was
laid in Valkenburgh's saloon, under the
Albemarle hotel. and the time was IL
O'Clock in the evening. His antagonist
was the noted gambler, Mike Duffy, of
New Orleans, whose GOODNESS and readi-
ness to handle revolver are facts that
have been proven. The party had been
drinking. The gambler made some re-
mark about Mrs. Langtry. May told him
not to mention Mrs. Langtry'S name in
such a place. Duffy retorted that she
was an actress, and as such was public
character, and that he had a good mind
to send around to her house and ask her
to go out to supper with him. May told
him that he would not do any such thing
while he was there.
"Yes, will,' answered Duffy.
"YOu are liarn' shouted May.
Both men jumped to their feet and
Sprang towards each other. Detective
Sergeant Hickey, Harry Perry and Paul
Arthur, the actor, who were present,
seized the combatantS and tried to keep
them apart. Hickey and others held
May and carried him away. Duffy fol-
lowed them out to the street, asking
them to let him go, denouncing May as
liar and coward. He stood within
half a foot of May and tainted him
with being a coward and liar. When
May was carried off Detective Hickey
and Harry Perry came back in the sa-
loon and had fist fight. Perry was
knocked out. and two policemen finally
walked off with Detective Hickey, but
he never reached the station. Supt.
Murray is now Investigating that branch
of the row.
WILL THERE BE A DUEL?
The report to-day is that May has
gone to New Orleans to fight
duel with Duffy. Some are inclined to
believe the story, while many suppose
it is false rumor. At any rate May
was not in his accustomed haunts to-
day.
Young Valkenburgh, in the absence
of his father, proprietor of the saloon,
stated to Mail and Express reporter
that the affair occurred some days ago
and was of comparatively trivial ma
ture, adding:
''They may have called each other
liars, but that thing occurs often and no
notice is taken of it. You know we
would not permit such a desperate
thing as is described in the Sun this
morning to take place in our saloon.
No, we would have thrown them out in
short order. lido not know Mike Duffy"
Young Valkenburgh gave the infor-
nation that Fred May had gone to New
man elegantly dressed said he remem-
bered the row, and that it occurred at IL
O'Clock in the evening, nearly ten days
ago. Fred May was dragged to the
street, and even then made demonStra-
ton to get back and have it out with
Duffy. But" he continued, Il tell
you Fred May never would have reached
Duffy alive. l know Duffy He is a
very cool and dead shot. In my opin-
ion Fred May never tried to get to his
antagonist in reality. He saw a small,
cool man. with keen eyes, standing be-
fore him, and he evidently knew he was
Fred May has gone to New Orleans. If
he expects to meet Duffy there and set
tie the row, he will probably die with
his boots on"
A gentleman who stops at the Able
marie said he was attracted by the noise
of the alteration. He saw MAY on
Broadway surrounded by several men
trying to hold him. His impression was
that May was letting off good deal of
steam without meaning business. AS
to Mr.. Mays fighting for Mrs. Langtry
because her name was mentioned in a
barroOm, he thought Mrs. Langtry
that would bring her name into the pa
perS in connection with barroom fight.
No one seemed to know why Fred
May had gone to New Orleans. Some
thought he wanted to fight duel with
Duffy, but others said he probably in
tended to go Sonth before the affair oc-
CURED.
IS NAY AFRAID?
Many people were willing to talk
about the fight, but did not want their
names used in print. One man said:
Il KNOW FRED May well ana all this talk
about his being afraid of Duffy is nom
sense. He is not afraid of any man and
if he had got to Duffy he would have
beaten him into jelly. Duffy might
have shot him, but believe Fred May
with his powerful strength would have
killed him before he died. Yes, / hear
he has gone to New Orleans and think
he desires to give Duffy chance to face
him in duel. Duffy won't be so cool
then, for May is something on the shoot
himself. He has fought one duel and
has never failed to come to time where
courage was required. He doesn't know
fear. He may die with his boots on, but
he will die game. We will hear some
thing very soon about this affair; it is
not through with yet"
1t is hot known whether Duffy is in
town or not. 1t is supposed that he has
gone to New Orleans by preconcerted
arrangement If duel is to be fought
it is thought it will take place in St.
Bernard parish, adjacent to New Or
leans, and within the next week.
Mrs. Langtry, by singular coinci-
dence,iS stopping at the Albemarle, two
doors below Vaikenburg's saloon, where
the fight occurred.
Superintendent Murray directed In
spector Bynes to-day to make Detective
Sergeant Hickey report his where
al narlU IN Wnhnpcdau noornino